Remember the 90s? Retro was back — baby boomers who conveniently forgot about segregation and polio celebrated their fading youth with a renaissance of mid-century pop culture and design. American muscle cars reached stratospheric prices, the Volkswagen Beetle made a return to America in 1998, the PT Cruiser arrived in 2000, and the Ford Thunderbird and Mini Cooper made a comeback in 2002, the latter still in production. And let’s not forgot 2005’s retro-styled Mustang and the style-over-substance 1997 Plymouth Prowler.

Not everything from the retro fad lasted. The Thunderbird came and went like the candles on a birthday cake. Swing music made a comeback in 1998 and died by 1999. The PT Cruiser, despite its fading popularity, soldiered on through 2010, becoming the butt of jokes in automotive circles.

So here I am, putting my credibility on the line, coming to the defense of the PT Cruiser, the most-hated wagon in America (based on the “I made it up” survey).

We enthusiasts make fun of the PT for being cheap, dated, and inconsistently built. That’s all true, but we’re more shallow than we admit. We really hate it for looking dorky and appealing to grandmothers and aging boomers with outdated ideas of style.

Let’s start from the bottom and look at what else from 1999-2010 was unquestionably worse than the much-hated PT Cruiser:
–Anything from Daewoo
–The Chevy Aveo, a Chevy-badged Daewoo
–Any Kia from the late 90s or early 2000s
–Chevy Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire

I admit, its a shorter list than I imagined. Cheaper cars tend to fall into a “blah” category at the bottom, and differentiating among them is like fishing through dog shit looking for gold nuggets.

America Changes, PT Stays the Same

The PT Cruiser’s universal hatred among auto enthusiasts is mostly image-related. The parentally-favored PT was allowed to wither away on the market for over a decade without major improvements, leaving its perch in the spotlight when Car and Driver placed it among 2001’s Ten Best Cars and becoming decidedly uncool. Its social acceptability is polarized by the way it draws attention to itself with bright primary colors, a convertible version with a big structural ‘basket handle’ in the center, and dweeby (but friendly) owners who love flame stickers, stick-on portholes, and dog dish hub caps.

Remember that we once loved (or at least appreciated) this car for its sharp looks, design creativity, color-cued interior accents, and real-world utility. Its genuinely usable as a family vehicle, and it inspired an entire category of car-based boxes and wagons like the Honda Element, Chevy HHR, and Scion XB. Yes, all three of its knockoffs are deplorable turds, but that’s beside the point.

As baby boomers fade away, quite literally, my generation appears to have rejected the way the PT is directly associated with our parents, the same way so many of my peers have whined ad nauseam with documentaries about the dreariness of the boomer-created suburbs (the safe and peaceful communities that raised most of today’s spoiled white youth) or the non-free-range-ness of the chicken served at KFC.

Sometimes, being outwardly unique earns a cult following, like Saab, Subaru, or Freddie Mercury. In other cases, it invites well-earned scorn, like the white-faced goth kids I remembered roaming the halls in high school. [I’m sure half of them are working in cubicles now, driving Toyota Highlanders to and from work.]

The little PT boldly puts itself out there like an amateur dressed up for the Olympics without any actual training. The PT’s tall, arrowhead-shaped hood looks fast standing still and big wheel arches suggest power and V8 strength, but in reality its a quiet, economical, loudly styled Dodge Neon wagon. Like the Plymouth Prowler, which I admit I love, it was style over substance.

The Dodge Neon was a decent little car, highly regarded for its safety, handling, and clean, friendly design. Neons are autocross favorites, and despite the occasional SOHC head gasket failure, they’re mostly dependable cars if you get the manual transmission.

The PT Cruiser drives little like its sporty Neon sibling. It looks like something quick and exciting, but it moves like an average lump of car.

I had the misfortune of renting a particularly bad one in Tampa. I can’t blame Chrysler for the way it smelled (like diapers), but it felt competent enough for commuting. The sound system was decent and there was more than enough room for luggage and passengers with rear seats that folded flat.

It really could have used more power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gg6NpQuKFU

Nothing makes me more hateful than flying, and by the time the plane landed in Florida I was starving. The guy at the Enterprise rental counter was a dick and there was obvious dirt and grime all over the inside of the car. I didn’t get more than a few miles out of the airport before calling, complaining, and giving it back.

To the PT Cruiser’s credit, the 2007 (2006?) Kia Optima I received as a replacement was miserably bland by comparison, but at least it was clean. The Optima’s stereo sounded like a boombox shoved under piles of blankets and the steering and brakes were completely lifeless. Proof again that there are cars in this world worse than the PT Cruiser we all love to hate.

It would also be incorrect to call the PT Cruiser crude. It may be a bit cheap, but nothing seemed outstandingly bad for its class, and the cheerful body-matched interior panels, spherical painted shift knob (optional), and white face gauges gave it some life. It beats the usual swaths of grey and black plastic you see in every other econobox.

On the highway, it was quiet and soft with light and easy steering. The automatic transmission did its job, but the 150-hp 2.4L engine was noisy and seriously showing its age, somewhat insufficient for moving 3100lbs of wagon. In this day and age, a car with the PT Cruiser’s specifications might see 30mpg, but the combination of a wheezy four-banger and 4-speed auto produce no more than 24mpg on the highway.

I can’t recall if the seating was any good — the odor from Enterprise’s lack of care made me want to get out as soon as I could. The seating position itself was tall and comfortable with good visibility, much like sitting in a 5-door Saab 900/9-3.

I suspect the turbo version might have been a hoot, with 230 horsepower and a stiffer suspension in the GT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx-ETgZQDz0

Conclusion

Don’t get the wrong idea — I’m not in love with it at all, and its highly unlikely I would buy one for myself, but this now-discontinued little car is hated for the wrong reasons by my fellow car snobs, so I was compelled to come to its defense.

The PT Cruiser was originally intended to be a Plymouth (PT means Plymouth Truck) in a full lineup of retro-styled cars, and came out of Chrysler’s 1990s design renaissance, the era that gave us the Viper, Ram, 300M, Grand Cherokee, and several stunning concept cars. In the end, more than a million PT Cruisers were sold, though a large number of them went to guys named Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise.

If the jackasses at Daimler-Benz hadn’t taken over and squeezed the life and soul out of the company, the PT could have evolved into an impressive little utility vehicle, just in time for $4 per gallon gasoline.

But that seems to be the story at Chrysler over the past decade: what could have been versus what really happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Sm5_dqbGM

http://jesda.com/2011/03/09/revisiting-the-pt-cruiser/

Stingroo

03-09-11, 08:06 PM

I like the PT Cruiser somewhat. Yes, they look cool with smoothies and flames (Shut up. All of you. Just shut up.) but my biggest beef with them is that they're just too damn small inside. Ever sat in the rear compartment of one? Let me tell you, it's built for midgets or children.

My parents rented one in 2009 to take me up to college for Freshman year. My biggest beef was that it couldn't fit my mini-fridge (but I had a lot of other stuff too, so it was forgiveable). Then when I climbed into the back seat, to my horror I realized that the Nazis had made their way to modern cars too. Rear passengers have no control over their windows. That's right. All four window switches are stupidly located in the middle of the dashboard between those two air vents. Whose idea was that? I sincerely want to know, so I can go up to them, express my displeasure in their interior design skills, and promptly shoot them in the f*cking face. They deserve it.

It doesn't stop there though. I'm not a tall guy. Really. I'm five-foot-seven. Maybe five-eight on a good day. But let me tell you, I felt like I was ten feet tall sitting in the back seat of this car. It was so cramped that after 30 minutes, we had to pull off the highway and I switched seats with my dad (who, fortunately in this case, is only five-foot-three). What the hell is this? Who would design this car? It would be a-okay with another 3-4 inches of wheelbase and we'd all fit comfortable (plus, it would even look cooler if it were longer). But no. It's not. Because the Nazi's said it couldn't be done. Those evil fascist bastards.

So in conclusion, I love/hate the PT Cruiser, and would never purchase one.

ThumperPup

03-09-11, 09:07 PM

I think the PT cruisier is the Biggest POS since the Neon from Chrysler plymouth dodge at the time when it came out and i think it still is the biggest POS they make
sorry some may not agree with me but i remember flying into LA going to national terminal emerald ile to rend car at LAX i usualy go for the full size like the Imapla and sometimes they had premiums on the emerald ile row
but in the corner of i saw this red PT cruiser it was not on the emerald ile it was in there specialty car section so it cost me more to rent it but i figure why not might be fun
to drive this to vegas
so i got it drove it to vegas had no freaking power whats so ever i mean no power to the gas
had no pick up at the time this was in 2001 i think
said to myself i would never rent or drive a pt cruiser ever again

well about 2 years ago my brother wrecked my moms Lacrosse buick
me and dad where out of town i was helping him with some work at the time
so mom went to the locale Chrysler dealer at the time and she bought a 2009 PT Cruiser they had so many incentives on it i think when it was all doen and said after everything it was like 14,999 plus taxes
i tell you that thing was the worst POS ever even though it was under warranty it must have been into the shop once every 3 months with only 19,000 miles on it last summer the Insurance totaled it out when my brother wrecked yet another car and they only paid 9,000 dollars for it

what did mom do next she went back to the same dealer bought a 5 month old HHR i tell you again POS its gone into the shop in the last 5 months to have the Steering column replaced due to something being wrong with the power steering then it had another part for the p.s replaced
then the car kept dieing they found a short in the under hood fuse box so they replaced that with the terminal new battery
now the radio starts to pull power and drain it with a short when its not even turned on i mean the car
so then they replace the radio
Mom is thinking about going to trade it in but not sure what she is going to get but one thing dad did tell her is no more going to buy cars alone you want a car dad said that she iehtere takes him or me with her to pick the next one out if she decided to trade this in

not sure if there is any truth to this or not but from what someone told me is GM hired the guy who originally designed the PT cruiser and he then desined the HHR for GM not sure if this is true at all
but if he did
then he must never be aloud to designed another car ever again

lol

Stingroo

03-09-11, 09:12 PM

Hey.

I like the HHR. Shut up. I want an HHR SS. That'd be another one of those cool after-college cars (actually, that one might even be.... practical. Then I can put the wagon on the back burner as a project :D!)

ThumperPup

03-09-11, 09:15 PM

Hey.

I like the HHR. Shut up. I want an HHR SS. That'd be another one of those cool after-college cars (actually, that one might even be.... practical. Then I can put the wagon on the back burner as a project :D!)

I hear one other person i was talkign to when i had the HHR at the shop in Last month for the radio swap out
they had an HHR it was a 2008 model
and he said he had more trouble in it than any other car he owned

the dealer i spoke with cause i was bored admitted to having one customer who had bought an HHR a year erlier that must have been in for about alt east 7 service visits for warranty issues in the past year
he said that between that one customer then the one that he sold a car to and my mom he hasnt had any others come in that mouch

Playdrv4me

03-09-11, 09:23 PM

If push came to shove and I wanted a dirt ass cheap convertible, I would totally rock one of those PT Turbo verts with the 5 spoke alloys as shown above. I rented one of these things once and the rental grade ones still had some interesting features, like the metal shifter ball I thought was a nice touch.

Destroyer

03-09-11, 09:59 PM

I have no problem with PT cruisers and never realized there was so much hatred for it. I'd buy one for a beater. Heck, I just bought an Escort ZX2 as a daily beater, so I'd buy anything. :thumbsup:

Stingroo

03-09-11, 10:15 PM

I have no problem with PT cruisers and never realized there was so much hatred for it. I'd buy one for a beater. Heck, I just bought an Escort ZX2 as a daily beater, so I'd buy anything. :thumbsup:

:lol: I was expecting another comment from you on my love of obscure vehicles from my lifetime. :thumbsup:

ThumperPup

03-09-11, 10:16 PM

I have no problem with PT cruisers and never realized there was so much hatred for it. I'd buy one for a beater. Heck, I just bought an Escort ZX2 as a daily beater, so I'd buy anything. :thumbsup:

if i had the to buy a beater tomorrow and there where to cars that i could choose between a PT Cruiser and a HHR i would choose to walk lol need to looose this damm weight

now if the 2 cars did not include an HHR say i could pick a 2000 PT cruiser for like 1500
or a Lebaron for the same price but 10 years older i would take the lebaron

i have actualy been thinking about this one for a few months now
thinking of offering them a 1000 for it next month

The PT GT Turbo convertible is the only one that I would ever consider. They're neat in their own little way. And the wheels on that one shown are bad ass.

HHR SS is interesting too, but a little on the blah side for something so quick. And the IP in those SUCK. The tach is only about this |_| big.

I still like the xB better.

cadillac kevin

03-09-11, 10:21 PM

pt cruisers arent bad cars styling wise, but 150hp and dorky moms driving them totally ruined them. sorry, but I had to say it

as for the HHR, chevy had a chance to make a kickass little wagon, but failed. should have been a bit longer with rwd and a vortec 4.3. V8 growl, V6 economy, and enough power to haul ass when you need it. (I got my foot stuck to the pedal @ WOT while changing lanes on the highway due to a floor carpet malfunction on my safari van. that was one hell of a ride.- not to mention I was gaining on the V8 charger in front of me that was trying to outrun me)

Nutz

03-09-11, 10:25 PM

HHR > PT Loser. But they're both rubbish :Jeremy Clarkson voice:, but they both somehow act as a $15,000 Viagra pill for some Woodstock retirees, so ah it's ok in a peace to all kinda way.

Destroyer

03-09-11, 10:27 PM

:lol: I was expecting another comment from you on my love of obscure vehicles from my lifetime. :thumbsup:You know, if there is one thing you should know by now............I love obscure vehicles. I don't consider the PT Cruiser to be one though. Throw me an Aston Martin Lagonda, Citroen SM, DS or even a Delorean or a Porsche 928 and I'm all over it. The PT does not qualify.

Jesda

03-09-11, 10:28 PM

With a million sold in 10 years, the PT Cruiser is about as obscure as Britney Spears.

Destroyer

03-09-11, 10:37 PM

With a million sold in 10 years, the PT Cruiser is about as obscure as Britney Spears.

Exactly!

ga_etc

03-09-11, 10:39 PM

With a million sold in 10 years, the PT Cruiser is about as obscure as Britney Spears.

And they both insist on exposing their vaginas.

Nutz

03-09-11, 10:40 PM

If you say you want a PT now, we won't hold it against you.

Stingroo

03-09-11, 10:42 PM

You know, if there is one thing you should know by now............I love obscure vehicles. I don't consider the PT Cruiser to be one though. Throw me an Aston Martin Lagonda, Citroen SM, DS or even a Delorean or a Porsche 928 and I'm all over it. The PT does not qualify.

Those are so badass. I'd drive one just because it's absolutely preposterous.

You sir, need to pay attention to the link in my signature so we can discuss obscure vehicles over that weekend. :thumbsup:

Destroyer

03-09-11, 10:55 PM

Those are so badass. I'd drive one just because it's absolutely preposterous.

You sir, need to pay attention to the link in my signature so we can discuss obscure vehicles over that weekend. :thumbsup:

The late Evil Knievel owned an '84 Lagonda with a very well modded big block Chevy under the hood. He used to come to the Toyota dealership I worked at all the time. His mechanic that worked on his cars worked there and Evil bought quite a few cars for his "girlfriends" there. Land Cruisers mostly at the time. This was between '97-'00. Anyway, I got a ride in the black Aston Lagonda with Evil behind the wheel and it was one of the best experiences I ever had. I'm not sure which was better, the car or the driver which I regarded a "hero". I loved the Lagonda's even before that though.

Stingroo

03-09-11, 11:20 PM

That's how I first heard about it, that thread you posted sometime last year. :)

I~LUV~Caddys8792

03-09-11, 11:28 PM

I'd kill for a Lagonda, then I'd probably kill myself after paying some of the repair bills.

I never liked the PT Cruiser, I always thought of them as a joke. Those and the HHR's always seemed to be owned mainly by fat older middle aged women, except with the HHR, the build quality wasn't awful and the styling was a little more mainstream.

orconn

03-09-11, 11:28 PM

Hey.

I like the HHR. Shut up. I want an HHR SS. That'd be another one of those cool after-college cars (actually, that one might even be.... practical. Then I can put the wagon on the back burner as a project :D!)

Hey, Santa Claus was seen driving all over Richmond in a bright red HHR SS this Christmas. My wife thought he looked really cool in his Chevy sleigh! Roo, after college, you should get an HHR SS painted "Sunkist Orange" and apply for the job of "Jolly Ollie Orange" with the Florida Citrus Commission. You'd be a real hit at all the elementary and middle schools and probably get a special funding grant from the Obama White House to role out your program in other states!

I have no problem with PT cruisers and never realized there was so much hatred for it. I'd buy one for a beater. Heck, I just bought an Escort ZX2 as a daily beater, so I'd buy anything. :thumbsup:

Ahh the ZX2... aka the "guillotine"... Good luck keeping the lower third of your body if you ever hit anything in that. They're pretty zippy at least!

Stingroo

03-09-11, 11:49 PM

Hey, Santa Claus was seen driving all over Richmond in a bright red HHR SS this Christmas. My wife thought he looked really cool in his Chevy sleigh! Roo, after college, you should get an HHR SS painted "Sunkist Orange" and apply for the job of "Jolly Ollie Orange" with the Florida Citrus Commission. You'd be a real hit at all the elementary and middle schools and probably get a special funding grant from the Obama White House to role out your program in other states!

what was that little retro truck GM made for Chevy sevral years back it hink it came in a convertible also it was just a 2 door truck tiny little thing about th esame size as the HHR would be withou tthe back seat
anyone remember
i liked that never got to drive one but i would probably go for one of those

what was that little retro truck GM made for Chevy sevral years back it hink it came in a convertible also it was just a 2 door truck tiny little thing about th esame size as the HHR would be withou tthe back seat
anyone remember
i liked that never got to drive one but i would probably go for one of those

The SSR.

It was built on the GMT360 SUV chassis completely by ASC.

cadillac kevin

03-10-11, 12:03 AM

that was the ssr. it had a vette motor and some other goodies but as I recall they weren't good for much (useless as truck, muscle car, and convertible.) They had some quality issues and weren't worth the 50k (or whatever) they cost and quickly depreciated. they were cool looking, but thats about all they had going for them

wow was just looking them up
the cheapest ones out there for sale are like 25k with 100k on them
wow
saw one for as hi have 65k i think

if i have 30k id be going to get this one http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=295823134&dealer_id=75291&car_year=2005&position=top&position=top&model=SSR&pager.offset=0&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&search_type=both&distance=0&min_price=9&rdm=1299733576737&marketZipError=false&sownerid=72401&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&first_record=1&default_sort=newsortbyprice_DESC&address=44122&sort_type=distance&max_price=5555555&awsp=false&make=CHEV&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=123&standard=false

ThumperPup

03-10-11, 12:14 AM

i think it was about 5 years maybe 6 yeaers back i saw one at avis in there specilty car section
i coudlnt understand how come they had the same rental rate on that as they had on a Cadillac DTS and a vett but i guess now i do with that price tag lol

ga_etc

03-10-11, 12:16 AM

That wins about as much as Charlie Sheen does.

You mean, the world?

I~LUV~Caddys8792

03-10-11, 12:19 AM

If a head-on train crash means winning the world, then yes.

Stingroo

03-10-11, 12:20 AM

Wow 14k miles? That's awesome.

If I ever had a limitless bank account I'd build a crazy SSR. It'd be a fun vehicle for the strip. People would give you "WTF" looks all the time.

I~LUV~Caddys8792

03-10-11, 12:22 AM

I vacuumed crystal meth out of a yellow SSR once when I worked at the Chevy dealer in '07.

drewsdeville

03-10-11, 12:35 AM

You sure you didn't miss the half empty pop rocks wrapper laying next to it?

Stingroo

03-10-11, 12:41 AM

Mmmmm Pop Rocks...

ThumperPup

03-10-11, 12:52 AM

I vacuumed crystal meth out of a yellow SSR once when I worked at the Chevy dealer in '07.

what the heck why you vacume that up could have come to clevlenad and made some moneyw with that lol

Jesda

03-10-11, 09:14 AM

A porn documentary on HBO interviewed a male performer who drove a silver SSR. That's the kind of person I imagine driving one.

Stingroo

03-10-11, 09:34 AM

Well then I guess I better consult Rob and work on my 'stache.

Aron9000

03-10-11, 12:06 PM

wow was just looking them up
the cheapest ones out there for sale are like 25k with 100k on them
wow
saw one for as hi have 65k i think

if i have 30k id be going to get this one http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=295823134&dealer_id=75291&car_year=2005&position=top&position=top&model=SSR&pager.offset=0&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&search_type=both&distance=0&min_price=9&rdm=1299733576737&marketZipError=false&sownerid=72401&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&first_record=1&default_sort=newsortbyprice_DESC&address=44122&sort_type=distance&max_price=5555555&awsp=false&make=CHEV&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=123&standard=false

Jesus, you can buy a pretty bitchin C6 Corvette for that type of coin.

As for the PT Cruiser, I hate those things with a passion. Indifferent Chrysler quality, ugly, crude 4 cylinder engine, plus styling your mom loves. I drove a PT Cruiser turbo convertible at work, the damn exhaust and engine resonace at idle was ridiculous. I'm talking about it being noisier at idle and startup than my pos 22RE toyota truck. I will say one good thing about it though, the instrument panel looks pretty cool with the color keyed accents, white gauges, and bus sized steering wheel.

I can kind of embrace the HHR a little more since they did make two cool versions. The SS with the turbo motor/5 speed trans is legitimetly fast and easy to mod. The panel version is kind of cool looking in a novelty sort way, its stupid that you can't get the panel version with a back seat though. Still an ugly ass car that women with no taste would drive though, and the instrument panel is pretty bad.

V-Eight

03-10-11, 12:56 PM

I vacuumed crystal meth out of a yellow SSR once when I worked at the Chevy dealer in '07.

Guess that just shows, you've gotta be f***ed up to buy one.

77CDV

03-10-11, 10:53 PM

My brother and I rented a PT Cruiser a couple years back when we travelled to the wedding of one of our cousins. It was rather unrefined and otherwise unmemorable.

ben.gators

03-10-11, 11:17 PM

A porn documentary on HBO interviewed a male performer who drove a silver SSR. That's the kind of person I imagine driving one.
I guess I can remember that documentary... :D

I~LUV~Caddys8792

03-10-11, 11:35 PM

You sure you didn't miss the half empty pop rocks wrapper laying next to it?

Nope, absolutely positive it was crystal meth. The owner had a rental of ours impounded at a local casino during his stay in their hotel, because he was dealing meth out of our rental as well (oddly enough it was an HHR) and was arrested while doing so. My coworker and I had to drive down to the casino to get that rental back, and we put the impound charges on his bill of service.

ThumperPup

03-10-11, 11:41 PM

Jesus, you can buy a pretty bitchin C6 Corvette for that type of coin.
.

if i had that kind of coin you think id be sitting on the pc right now lmao
hell naw id be on a plaine heading down to god knows where to by god knows what and when i get back and post the pictures only god knows how jaw dropped drooling yall would be lol